Balenciaga Demand/Desire going Up or Down?

Value of Balenciaga right now

  • Going UP (definitely getting another soon!!)

  • Going DOWN (ummm...I think I should sell while it's still good)

  • About the same...


Results are only viewable after voting.
^^^
Leather lasts a really long time and I plan on using these beautiful,cool bags for a VERY VERY long time.
They are pretty classic and the style will always work. They are not extreme or baroque or over-designed. They don't stand out that much and for that reason are elegant. At the moment, small, structured (and usually hard shell) bags look the best with the clothes that are out now so that is what you see all the time. That will change. No mater what the prevalent style, a moto bag will always look right.
These moto bags look good with the clothes I wear and THAT determines their value and not some external idea of what's current. I'm smitten by the oldies and I don't care if they are losing their resale value. (I really don't think they are)
I'm holding on to all of them (just like I have with my Apple stock) because they will always be cool.

Oh, and I have a theory about Balenciaga production and quality that I would like to put out and see what you guys think. It occured to me that quality is good every other year starting with 05. There are many exceptions so please don't be pissed at me if I say a year is bad...OK?
Its just a theory...and possibly a lame one.

05=good
06=bad
07=good
08=bad
09=good
10=bad and so on.

Could there be any truth to this?


I just wish Balenciaga would get their quality under control and quit being so greedy.

This. I totally believe this to be the case, with one particular example from my own HG chase: last year I was super obsessed with getting an 08 Coral Vermillion GGH Part Time or Work. I looked all over the place and anxiously patrolled the auction sites and when I finally found one, I was freaking ecstatic! When it came, I really loved it, gorgeous color, beautiful hardware, great condition . . . what ultimately led me to sell the bag two months later was that the leather just did not display the qualities that drew me to Bal in the first place :rain:. It was smooth and kinda shiny and waxy seeming to me and when I parted with it, I felt very discouraged from getting a Bal from an 'off' year ever again- 2006, 2008, 2010. All my BBags now are from 07 (with one from 09), my fave year for leather and colors, and I'm sticking with that.

I'm a relative newbie to Balenciaga, too and they are a real investment for me- I do buy my bags carefully with the intention of using them for a very long time, but I have noticed, on the occasions I've sold Bbags, that it's unusual sell them at a profit or for what I paid, unless I got a phenomenal deal, even for a sought-after bag. Strangely, the 08 PT from the example above is the only one that sold at a small profit (rare, I think, and sold to someone who liked undistressed leather), I believe. Thanks everyone for all the good input on this very interesting question! :tpfrox:
 
^^ Agree!

I know that there are general opinions on the quality of the leather from year to year. However, as I have said in other posts, my 10 leathers are some of the BEST I've felt...BABY soft and saturated, 09 can be good or bad, and I have felt an 07 with good leather and 07 with horrifically plasticky leather...I mean like cellophane. It really depends on the individual bag.

I agree with Mere, there are newer bags that have amazing leather and saturation and can likely rival any oldie. I've spoken with enough Bal collectors who have experienced both oldies and newer bags and many are just as happy with newer bags. Inconsistency is something we can definitely count on from Balenciaga...that is what fuels the addiction...that hunt for what one deems the ideal and perfect Bal.

Totally Agree.
 
This. I totally believe this to be the case, with one particular example from my own HG chase: last year I was super obsessed with getting an 08 Coral Vermillion GGH Part Time or Work. I looked all over the place and anxiously patrolled the auction sites and when I finally found one, I was freaking ecstatic! When it came, I really loved it, gorgeous color, beautiful hardware, great condition . . . what ultimately led me to sell the bag two months later was that the leather just did not display the qualities that drew me to Bal in the first place :rain:. It was smooth and kinda shiny and waxy seeming to me and when I parted with it, I felt very discouraged from getting a Bal from an 'off' year ever again- 2006, 2008, 2010. All my BBags now are from 07 (with one from 09), my fave year for leather and colors, and I'm sticking with that.

My '08 Coral is extremely distressed, chewy,.....a real gem.
...actually so is my '08 Sahara - one of the most distressed bags I own.

I was surprised to read that '08 and '10 were considered "not so good" for Bal. I guess it all depends on each individual bag so thank goodness there will be exceptions..... My best bags are from 2010 & 2008 (and of course 2005 :P).
 
My '08 Coral is extremely distressed, chewy,.....a real gem.
...actually so is my '08 Sahara - one of the most distressed bags I own.

I was surprised to read that '08 and '10 were considered "not so good" for Bal. I guess it all depends on each individual bag so thank goodness there will be exceptions..... My best bags are from 2010 & 2008 (and of course 2005 :P).

That's good to know- I think I maybe just got a bag that didn't suit what I was looking for, having bought it sight unseen. It's new owner is happy with it, though:smile:. I think maybe Bal's issue isn't off years, but general quality control. . . but I doubt I'll stop buying any time soon:graucho:! I'd definitely agree that it does depend most on the individual bags and the style of their owners.
 
My '08 Coral is extremely distressed, chewy,.....a real gem.
...actually so is my '08 Sahara - one of the most distressed bags I own.

I was surprised to read that '08 and '10 were considered "not so good" for Bal. I guess it all depends on each individual bag so thank goodness there will be exceptions..... My best bags are from 2010 & 2008 (and of course 2005 :P).

ITA with this! Love all my 2010 and 2008 beauties-the leather is thick, distressed and saturated, with my 08 Marine being the second most distressed (beat out just by a fraction by my 2 05's). I have to say my newest (a 2011) is pretty amazing too.
 
^^ Agree!

I know that there are general opinions on the quality of the leather from year to year. However, as I have said in other posts, my 10 leathers are some of the BEST I've felt...BABY soft and saturated, 09 can be good or bad, and I have felt an 07 with good leather and 07 with horrifically plasticky leather...I mean like cellophane. It really depends on the individual bag.

I agree with Mere, there are newer bags that have amazing leather and saturation and can likely rival any oldie. I've spoken with enough Bal collectors who have experienced both oldies and newer bags and many are just as happy with newer bags. Inconsistency is something we can definitely count on from Balenciaga...that is what fuels the addiction...that hunt for what one deems the ideal and perfect Bal.

Ah the thrill of the hunt. Well said! I feel the same way you do about my 2010 bags.
 
^^ Agree!

I know that there are general opinions on the quality of the leather from year to year. However, as I have said in other posts, my 10 leathers are some of the BEST I've felt...BABY soft and saturated, 09 can be good or bad, and I have felt an 07 with good leather and 07 with horrifically plasticky leather...I mean like cellophane. It really depends on the individual bag.

I agree with Mere, there are newer bags that have amazing leather and saturation and can likely rival any oldie. I've spoken with enough Bal collectors who have experienced both oldies and newer bags and many are just as happy with newer bags. Inconsistency is something we can definitely count on from Balenciaga...that is what fuels the addiction...that hunt for what one deems the ideal and perfect Bal.
ITA- I had 2 2010 bags that the leather was what Bal Dreams are made of & also 2 Cyclamen & Coquilicot 2011 that were over the top fabulous- I think it really just depends upon the bolt of leather the bag was cut from
:smile:Like Bums some are better than others!

:smile:
 
****** said:
I think the demand has definitely gone down from what I have observed. So many factors paying attribute. First off, there is so much more supply now than before (online and in stores) - a few yrs ago, Bal NY, Barneys, Bal Paris, and only a very few NMs carried them - the stores outside of Bal NY and Bal Paris had a very limited selection. They were super hard to find and there was a "hysteria" to get certain colors. Secondly, I think the mini giant HW, was the start of the LARGER decline as a whole - the majority of people prefer the G21 to the G12. I agree with many comments on pre-owned - there are so many great newer colors that have been close repeats of sought after colors from seasons past that people are not willing to spend crazy amts of money on pre-owned items that were inflated to begin with.

Overall, even though demand has gone down, it's still very strong compared to other brands - the hysteria is just not there like it used to be. I truly believe Balenciaga has become a classic staple that will be popular forever, and has definitely proven it's more than just a "fad bag".

Great points! I totally agree. It's definitely not a fad bag since its been strong and highly coveted year after year for at least 10+ years :smile:

I wonder what will happen to the Celine totes when (or if) the supply increases and the bags are more readily available...
 
I had a 2005 black that was gorgeous and a 2005 bordeaux that was like thin cardboard,
I had a 2006 black City that was TDF, also an 06 rouge Vif that was a dream...
an 08 marine that was puffy and like a squishy soft pillow..an 08 Ruby was amazing,
a black 2010 that was superb!

Purely on the individual bag IMO.
 
This. I totally believe this to be the case, with one particular example from my own HG chase: last year I was super obsessed with getting an 08 Coral Vermillion GGH Part Time or Work. I looked all over the place and anxiously patrolled the auction sites and when I finally found one, I was freaking ecstatic! When it came, I really loved it, gorgeous color, beautiful hardware, great condition . . . what ultimately led me to sell the bag two months later was that the leather just did not display the qualities that drew me to Bal in the first place :rain:. It was smooth and kinda shiny and waxy seeming to me and when I parted with it, I felt very discouraged from getting a Bal from an 'off' year ever again- 2006, 2008, 2010. All my BBags now are from 07 (with one from 09), my fave year for leather and colors, and I'm sticking with that.

I'm a relative newbie to Balenciaga, too and they are a real investment for me- I do buy my bags carefully with the intention of using them for a very long time, but I have noticed, on the occasions I've sold Bbags, that it's unusual sell them at a profit or for what I paid, unless I got a phenomenal deal, even for a sought-after bag. Strangely, the 08 PT from the example above is the only one that sold at a small profit (rare, I think, and sold to someone who liked undistressed leather), I believe. Thanks everyone for all the good input on this very interesting question! :tpfrox:

Wow .. that's really interesting .. my '08 Coral GGH PT (like my other '08 S/S bags) had superb leather .. very thick & chewy and wonderfully distressed. Guess that it really is a particular bag (hence one of the reasons why I would SOOOOOO prefer to not have to buy one sight-unseen).
 
These comments are so great to hear. It really helps to demystify the bag hunt for newbies and for some of us not so new to this either.
When I first got to this forum I researched like a maniac because I wanted to understand the range of possibilities a single bag could have. I kept hearing about the oldies (01-04) and then I kept hearing about 05 and 07. Because of the smaller production numbers the oldies had very consistent results but then after that it was not consistent.
Here is my experience:
02=calfskin soft and on the thin side (have 1)
03=all thick leather, not really soft but very supple, color saturation intense (have 5)
04=very soft, velvety, medium thick, except rose, yellow and mystery green which are more like 03 (have 10)
05= some are thin and all silky soft, not velvety but more silky (have 12)

Color saturation seems the same for these years.

I have a CP that is 08 Saddle and it is thick, buttery soft and deep in color.

I agree that this is one of the reasons the collecting is so addictive. The range of possibilities seems endless.
 

Wow .. that's really interesting .. my '08 Coral GGH PT (like my other '08 S/S bags) had superb leather .. very thick & chewy and wonderfully distressed. Guess that it really is a particular bag (hence one of the reasons why I would SOOOOOO prefer to not have to buy one sight-unseen).

Yes, apparently so! I know one other girl who has this combo in the City size and it looked more like mine- not distressed- but the leather was very soft and Bal-standard. Maybe mine had been treated by it's previous owner and it hadn't been disclosed or something? I was very surprised that you and Mags both had positive experiences with this leather/color combo- mine is the only Bal leather I ever experienced that just . . . didn't work for me.
 
This is a very interesting thread. Before joining tpf I was already fond of nice handbags (had Mulberry, Miu Miu, MJ) but only because they looked good to me and served a practical purpose (of looking good :giggles:. After tpf.. that's a different story! :sneaky::angel:I bought 5 Bals (and sold one), a Chanel flap, Gucci and Celine in less than 6 months!! I feel I have reached a nice saturation point with Bals. For me what matters is the design, quality and purpose of the bag and how it fits MY life. That being said the different colours of my Bals suit many outfits and styles and make me very happy. I would never buy a bag as an investment because they depreciate in value. If you want to invest invest in gold and minerals, not handbags!
 
maxxout said:
Hello HG Bags

Since you currently sell mainly new bags and do not have a single oldie (02-05) on your site, your comment that “people are not willing to spend crazy amts of money on pre-owned items that were inflated to begin with" should be seen in this context.

And speaking of inflated prices. I equate inflated price with inferior quality. I have heard many people on this forum complain about the recent price increases of the newer bags and the quality issues of smaller hardware, dry, thin leather etc. but I have NEVER heard anyone complain about the quality of an oldie.

Since you are a well-known and respected seller of these bags, I feel it is a bit irresponsible of you to proclaim that prices of pre-owned bags are inflated.
While this is might be nice for people like me who buy the oldies and might benefit from the fallout and get the lower price, it diminishes the resale value of these bags and hurts other women here on this forum who might wish to sell their oldies.

Hi there! What I meant by the inflated prices was that people were paying very high amts of money for bags that were in very poor condition. I.e. dark handles, stains, etc just to acquire older leathers and colors. They WERE inflated but are no longer inflated. No harm intended to pre owned bag lovers :smile: For example there were 05 cities in terrible condition selling for $1500 to $2000 at one time, which IMHO is categorized as inflated. I am certainly not knocking pre-owned items, we still accept them. Just stating sheer facts that their value is not as high as it once was :smile:
 
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Hi there! What I meant by the inflated prices was that people were paying very high amts of money for bags that were in very poor condition. I.e. dark handles, stains, etc just to acquire older leathers and colors. They WERE inflated but are no longer inflated. No harm intended to pre owned bag lovers :smile: For example there were 05 cities in terrible condition selling for $1500 to $2000 at one time, which IMHO is categorized as inflated. I am certainly not knocking pre-owned items, we still accept them. Just stating sheer facts that their value is not as high as it once was :smile:


Hi HG
Yes, some of us (meaning me) will go to great lengths to get our HG…even accepting some use on the bag but even I have my limits. I do remember seeing bags with stains and being pretty messed up with hefty asking prices. So yes, that is happily over with!